UPFRONT

Rip It Up, Issue 167, 1 June 1991, Page 4

UPFRONT

When Guns N’ Roses played a special pre-tour show at Los Angeles’ 2,700 seater Pantages Theatre. So many of the songs were new that Axl Rose required Teleprompters on stage scanning the lyrics . . . Happy Mondays didn’t complete their USA tour due to “illness” and “technical difficulties.” The band arrived after they were due on stage for their opening spot at Jane’s Addiction Madison Square Gardens gig, forcing the headlining act to run late and incur a $7,000 union overtime penalty . . . Stone Roses have won their case against their record label Silvertone. The judge described their contract as “entirely one-sided and unfair.” The group have demoed enough material for two albums and the group are now free to sign a 20 million pound deal with Geffen Records . . . Jim Kerr of Simple Minds is now romancing actress Patsy Kensit . . . the 1991 New Orleans Jazz / R&B Festival attracted 333,000 people over six days of music, cuisine and crafts . . . on John Lee Hooker’s next LP he will be joined by Stones guitarist

Keith Richards . . . USA summer rock tours feature multi-band line-ups, Poison with Slaughter and Bullet Boys while Anthrax are joined by Megadeth, Slayer and Alice In Chains . . . Prince has not only completed his new album Diamonds & Pearls, he’s also written songs on new releases by Paula Abdul, Martika, Miles Davis, Louie Louie, T.C.Ellis, Eric Leeds, Ingrid Chavez and Patti Labelle . . . Chuck D. guests on the Anthrax cover of Public Enemy song ‘Bring the Noise’ . . . Def America boss Rick Rubin will produce the next Red Hot Chili Peppers’ album . . . guitarist Peter Solowka has left Wedding Present . . . funk eccentric George Clinton intendsto produce former Milli Vanilli frontmen Rob and Fab. Clinton commented, “even lip-synching isanart.” . . . spoof act 2 Live Jews are back with ‘Fiddling With Tradition” on Kosher Records . . . lead singer of new R&B group Le Gent is Ron Wilson, the son of the legendary Jackie Wilson . . . future technology: Sony are planning a new “Mini-Disc” (64mm diameter, recordable / erasable optical disc system) and they will also support the introduction of the new Phillips format, the “Digital Compact Cassette”, a format compatible with existing cassette players . . . David Ritz, author of Marvin Gaye bio

Divided Soul, has assisted former Atlantic Records R&B whizz Jerry Wexler to write an autobiography of his years working with Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett etc. .. Natalie Cole has recorded 22 classics by her father, Nat King Cole with orchestral, big band or trio accompaniement, on her new album Unforgettable . . . Nile Rodgers has produced the new Ric Ocasek solo album Fireball Zone . . . David Byrne will release an orchestralalbum The Forest from his 1988 theatre piece . . . Byrds member Gene Clark (46) was found dead from a heart attack . . . Will Sinnott of the Shamen was drowned in a Canary Islands swimming accident . . . Dan Reed Network will cover Pink Floyd classic ‘Money’ . . . a Rock Aid Armenia remake of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Rock & Roll’ will feature Roger Daltrey and Steve Harris . . . new Anthrax release Attack of the Killer Bs features new songs recorded live plus covers of Public Enemy’s ‘Bring the Noise’, Kiss’s ‘Parasite’ and Chantay’s ‘Pipeline’. One new track is spelt backwards ‘N.F.B (Dallabnikcufecin)’ . . . Genesis are recording an LP for late 1991 release. They will tour in 1992 ... U2 have taken legal action against a UK store with stock of a Europe-sourced bootleg of U2 rehearsals and demos for their next album.